While semantics count for some, gamers win either way.

A few cabinets from Galloping Ghost, one of our two big contenders.

Credit:

Tim Stevens

A few cabinets from Galloping Ghost, one of our two big contenders.

Credit:

Tim Stevens

In New Hampshire, just off the western shore of the vacation destination Lake Winnipesaukee, there’s a town called Laconia. With a population somewhere south of 17,000, it’s barely a blip on a map—except on Bike Week, when around 300,000 motorcyclists swarm the place. On the other, quieter weeks of the year, Laconia is best known as the unlikely home of Funspot, the world’s largest arcade.

Meanwhile, in Brookfield, Illinois, about 45 minutes west of Chicago and the shores of Lake Michigan, you’ll find Galloping Ghost Arcade , a sprawling suburban palace with a nondescript exterior hiding a mind-blowing collection.…